


Rip Tide

by NixieD



Category: House M.D.
Genre: M/M, non-explicit mentions of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 23:39:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6398911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NixieD/pseuds/NixieD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little ficlet taking place after the ducklings leave House's employ, set around season 3 and 4.</p><p>They just sort of fell together. But they don't call it at relationship, no matter how much it is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rip Tide

**Author's Note:**

> Bringing over my old stories from LJ, hope you enjoy.
> 
> Mentions of past relationships between Chase/Cameron, past drug abuse, and past alcoholism. Nothing explicit in this piece.

After a couple of years working in surgery, Chase had transferred to ICU, around the same time that Cameron finally cracked and walked out of his life for good. Last he’d over heard from Foreman, she’d relocated to a small clinic and was dating some halfwit not nearly good enough for her, although probably just damaged enough that she actually stood a chance of fixing him.

Foreman was still banging about, complaining and threatening to quit and leave, but they all knew he wouldn’t, House had left a lasting impression on him that meant no one was willing to offer up a job. He’d been moved to Neurology after taking a swing at House, but House never learnt and still harassed him even there.

But that was House, as unchanging as the tides, forever hobbling about, chugging pills by the bottle load. He’d run through three lots of fellows since their team had disbanded, and showed no signs of slowing down when it came to turnover. Chase isn’t sure why anyone shows up, House’s reputation for being a complete and utter uncompromising bastard got round even to him in Australia, so there’s no reason for anyone not to know what they’re signing up for, but they still flock to him like moths to a flame.

Since signing on Chase’s life had never been quiet, even when he and Cameron moved elsewhere, House had hung over them, his name popping out of her mouth every other sentence. When he’d come back House had just started up where he left off, even kicking it up a notch once Cameron fled, he’d not seen where it was going till he’d woken up from House flinging his jeans smack into his face. Really that morning typified their “relationship”, just as they were before, but with the occasional make out session and fumble inside and outside of work.

It’s taken him a week to stop blushing after Wilson had barged into the exam room, finding them with his pants around his knees, biting on his fist to quiet any moans. House had been unrepentant and enjoyed luring him back down to the clinic room. While Wilson had spent most of that time shaking his head and trying to give Chase a cautionary talk, one that had Chase hammering on his beeper to escape from.

Even now they hadn’t changed, separate cars to and from work, sarcastic comments thrown back and forth, just frequent nights where Chase would head to House’s place rather than his own ratty apartment. There’s a sudden shift from lights off sex to light on, at least it seems that way to Chase, but it’s likely any attempts at subtly from House went straight over his head. Just like the pleasurable knowledge when kissing House a few weeks in, that he hadn’t stopped to have a drink, it’s likely House had noticed that he’d never really touched his drink less it was clear. 

They’re falling into some sort of routine, but neither are willing to qualify exactly what they are to one another. As if saying the words will bring about some disaster that’ll cleave apart any sense of a bond that they’ve been building between them. Regardless of what it is, for now Chase is happy to go with the flow, House has that domineering personality that drags any and everyone along whether they want to or not. Perhaps down the line he’ll regret falling into this thing with him, but right now it’s four in the morning, House is shaking with the detox, every last pill cleared out while he was still enjoying the buzz of his last vicodin, and it’s hard to see this as something temporary.

House is trying to get clean for him, and maybe it won’t work this time, it hasn’t before, but it’s the fact he’s trying. He’s trying so that they might have a few more years than they would have, even though they don’t talk as if this might go on. But right now House is trying, and that means a lot after growing up with an addict that never even considered giving it up. It may not be something he can give a name, Chase knows the moment he beings to discuss it and call it a relationship House will be forced to sabotage it, it’s just his nature. So Chase doesn’t call it the R word and somehow they manage to muddle through. 

Somehow without him noticing he’s just been dragging into something so much more than either of them planned, but that’s the power of House. He’s not sure, if given the chance, that he would have been able to escape had he realised what this would become earlier, if he’d wanted to that is. While he may be out of his depth, he’s pretty comfortable with how things turned out, because somehow House has managed to end up out there with him.


End file.
